Dave Clawson's history suggests a down first year, an improved second year and a breakthrough third season, with his tenure eventually culminating with a national ranking and postseason push before another move up the coaching ladder. This is what happened at Fordham and Richmond, two former FCS also-rans turned bullies under Clawson's watch.

The script changed at Bowling Green. Clawson's first team, in 2009, reached seven wins and the Humanitarian Bowl behind a potent passing game and a bend-but-don't-break defense; that win total more than doubled Clawson's combined output over his first seasons at Fordham (1999) and Richmond (2004). Then came the rebuilding process: Bowling Green slid to 2-10 in 2010, climbed to 5-7 in 2011 and then won eight games a year ago, finishing in sole possession of second place in the MAC East Division.

But the end result should be the same. Clawson won 26 games at Fordham from 2001-3, the best stretch in program history. He won 26 games during his final three seasons at Richmond, handing his predecessor, current Virginia coach Mike London, the foundation for a championship run. Clawson and the Falcons are entering a similar period in 2013: Bowling Green is built to win today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.

LAST YEAR'S PREDICTION

This is a bowl team. That's probably enough for the Falcons. But can Bowling Green do more? It's possible, but I still think that the Falcons need one more year of seasoning before cracking into the MAC's top group. For now, this is a lower-tier bowl team and the second-best team in the MAC East. Not a bad step forward for a program with seven wins over the last two years.

2012 RECAP

— In a nutshell: Bowling Green delivered, basically. It's always nice to see a team with this level of talent, returning experience and solid coaching step forward and take care of business; the Falcons hit all the right notes, perhaps finishing a touch shy of their preseason goals thanks to a late loss to Kent State yet still winning eight games during the regular season – and losing only to the schedule's cream of the crop, to Florida, Virginia Tech, Toledo and the Golden Flashes. This was a team that won games on defense, holding six MAC opponents to 14 points or less and leading the conference – by leaps and bounds – in all four major categories: total, rushing, passing and scoring defense. This level of production helped the Falcons overcome an inefficient offense, one that failed to throw the ball with consistency despite a veteran starting quarterback and some very solid pass protection. This lack of balance didn't prevent Bowling Green from a return to postseason play, but this program must address its offensive deficiencies to challenge Northern Illinois, Toledo and others for MAC supremacy.

— High point: A six-game winning streak from late September through early November, one capped by a 26-14 win at Ohio on Nov. 7. On a sour note, this would be the Falcons' lone win over an eventual bowl participant.

— Low point: The loss to Kent State. A win in that game would have given Bowling Green the tiebreaker and, eventually, the East title. The Falcons' four losses – Florida, Toledo, Virginia Tech and Kent State – came to teams with a combined 2012 record of 38-15.

— Tidbit: Bowling Green averaged the fourth-fewest points per game of any bowl team in the FBS during the 2012 season. The Falcons averaged 23.2 points per game, good for 94th nationally. Michigan State averaged 20.0 points (110th), Rutgers averaged 21.5 points (98th) and Minnesota 22.1 points per game (96th).

— Dave Clawson (Williams '89), 22-28 after four seasons at Bowling Green. That Clawson reached the postseason in his debut belies the rebuilding project he inherited with the Falcons. During the last three years, Clawson has gone from two wins (2010) to five wins (2011) to eight wins a year ago, doing so with a younger roster than most of Bowling Green's MAC peers. As at every other stop in his coaching career, Clawson has built not merely a winner but a winning environment, one that should last well beyond one or two seasons.

Clawson compiled a very impressive résumé on the FCS level, where he coached at Fordham (1999-2003) and Richmond (2004-7). He initially struggled at Fordham, a program coming off 12 losing seasons in a row, going 3-19 in his first two years (1999-2000). The Rams went 0-11 in 1999, tying the 1994 team for the worst finish in school history. The team made a modest climb to 3-8 in 2000 before going 26-10 over his final three years, the best stretch in the program's 120-year history. That stretch drew the attention of Richmond, another historically mediocre program desperate for a winning season. Again, Clawson's initial season was a learning experience (3-8 in 2004), but the Spiders finished 26-12 from 2005-7, twice advancing to the FCS playoffs.

Clawson's only FBS experience prior to being hired at Bowling Green came in 2008, when he served a single, much-maligned season as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. As we can all remember, 2008 marked the worst season in recent memory for the Volunteers – recent memory prior to 2008; it hasn't got much better for UT since – and Clawson received much of the blame from fans for the team's poor play. Regardless of his work at Tennessee, Clawson's experience on the FCS level qualified him to take the next step at a program like Bowling Green. After reworking Bowling Green's roster, properly implementing his schemes and slowly rebuilding the Falcons' confidence, Clawson has Bowling Green set for consistent MAC and postseason contention.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

— Offense: The entire offense will sink or swim based on senior Matt Schilz's performance at quarterback. Sound familiar? Schilz's junior campaign was a bit of a disaster, with declines seen nearly across the board, and his inability to build upon a solid sophomore season led Clawson and Bowling Green to install a bit of a competition between the senior, sophomore Matt Johnson and redshirt freshman James Knapke. I have little doubt that this is more for motivational purposes, as Clawson looks to bring the best out of his third-year starter, but the fact that Bowling Green has placed Schilz under a microscope underlines the importance of steadier and more reliable play at the position. Despite last season's disappointing lack of production, Schilz remains the Falcons' best option – but he needs to prove this fact in August. This offense will be vastly improved should he reclaim the form that made him a borderline All-MAC contender in 2011.

The offensive line could be the best of Clawson's tenure with the program. The Falcons are experienced, for one, and that's a great start; in addition, however, the Falcons have very solid depth across the board. The lone concern is tackle play, where Bowling Green must replace a multiple-year starter on the strong side. While this won't be decided until the end of fall camp, Bowling Green is slated to start Christian Piazza as Jordon Roussos replacement at right tackle. The Falcons have the assets inside to bridge the gap to a few new faces on the outside: Bowling Green's center, Chief Kekuewa, is one of the best in the MAC, and guards Dominic Flewellyn and Alex Huettel are easy all-conference contenders. With this level of amount of returning experience, overall talent and continued room for growth, this line could end the year as one of the league's three best.

The receiver corps loses no contributors of consequence from a season ago; better yet, and as is the case up front, the group as a whole has enormous potential. The headliner is sophomore Chris Gallon (54 receptions for 720 yards), who broke out in the latter stages of last fall to become Schilz's favorite target – he had 22 receptions for 351 yards during Bowling Green's final three games, including a monster showing in the loss to Kent State. Gallon will be joined in the starting lineup by senior Shaun Joplin (40 for 639) and sophomore Ryan Burbrink (39 for 351); behind this trio, the Falcons will use Herve Coby, Heath Jackson and Jared Cohen. Bowling Green also has an All-MAC tight end in senior Alex Bayer (36 for 410). Schilz has the weapons; the Falcons should be more successful through the air.

— Defense: This defense will survive the loss of two superb starters, even if there's no way the Falcons replicate the impact tackle Chris Jones and linebacker Dwayne Woods brought to the table as seniors. No one player can do so, at least: Bowling Green can duplicate this pair's production with team-wide approach, however, especially with so many contributors back in the fold along the front seven. At tackle, for example, Bowling Green will replace Jones – utterly unstoppable in MAC play – with a combination of Ted Ouellet (35 tackles, 6.0 for loss), Mike Minns, Jairus Campbell and Zach Colvin, a strong top quartet that makes up for a lack of explosiveness with extremely steady production against interior running games. Ouellet in particular seems destined for an all-conference season after serving in Jones' shadow a season ago, and Colvin could be a weapon on passing downs after permanently moving inside from end. The Falcons remain intact at end, where starters Bryan Thomas (33 tackles, 8.0 for loss) and Charlie Walker (34 tackles, 6.0 for loss) will be spelled by Ronnie Goble and Kendall Montgomery. Even without its star, Bowling Green's defensive front will remain difficult to move on first down and opportunistic in clear passing situations.

The new leader on the second level is junior Gabe Martin (70 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks), a do-everything all-conference pick who excelled during his first season as a starter. Given how terrific this defense should be against league competition, Martin should be a heavy contender for MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. With Woods gone, the Falcons will move senior Paul Swan (65 tackles) will move from outside linebacker into the middle; Swan will be replaced by D.J. Lynch (63 tackles), who played extensively in 2012 as Bowling Green's fourth linebacker. This group will replace Woods' production and not skip a beat.

The secondary returns completely intact. All four starters return from a group that held MAC competition to only five touchdowns against eight interceptions last fall, bottling up quarterbacks like Zac Dysert, Tyler Tettleton and others en route to finishing 13th nationally in passing yards allowed per game. There's no reason to expect anything different in 2013: Bowling Green brings back senior Cameron Truss (63 tackles) and junior Darrell Hunter at cornerback, junior Ryland Ward (57 tackles) and senior BooBoo Gates (47 tackles, 2 interceptions) at safety and another three or four seasoned contributors in reserve – so this group should remain among the cream of the crop in the MAC and the FBS. Not many teams can tout backup safeties like junior Jude Adjei-Barimah (30 tackles, 4 interceptions) and senior Aaron Foster. From top to bottom, from the line through the secondary, this should be the MAC's best defense.

— Special teams: Gates, Burbrink and backup wide receiver Diontre Delk will do the heavy lifting in the return game, perhaps helping the Falcons beef up last year's paltry results on kickoffs and punts. The kicking game remains in place, with sophomore Tyler Tate taking over on place-kicking duties on a full-time basis and senior Brian Schmiedebusch back at punter. Sophomore Anthony Farinella returns as the Falcons' kickoff specialist, though he was not impressive as a rookie.

POSITION(S) TO WATCH

— Running back: Bowling Green is still waiting for news on would-be junior running back Anthon Samuel (998 yards and 11 touchdowns), who left the program in the spring to spend time with his family in Florida but might – though it's not extremely likely – return in time to participate in fall camp. With Samuel gone and junior Jamel Martin (205 yards) injured, the Falcons were thin on options during spring drills. Well, help is one the way: Bowling Green signed four running backs in February, all from Florida, and this group will join Martin and sophomore Andre Givens (134 yards) in the backfield. One name to watch: Bowling Green moved Travis Greene over from running back earlier this offseason, and the redshirt freshman responded with a solid spring. You could probably pencil Greene into third on the depth chart, with Givens and Martin one-two, until the true freshmen arrive and audition for parts during fall camp. The issue with this group is that no one back will fill Samuel's role as an every-down back; the Falcons seem to have several change-of-pace options but no workhorse, so you're looking at a by-committee approach. It's vital that Bowling Green land a balanced running game to take pressure off of Schilz, so this competition could end up defining the Falcons' entire offense.

GAME(S) TO WATCH

— Ohio: The winner of this game won't officially win the East Division, though it's easy to see the division come down to the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Falcons have lost three in a row at home in the series, though they did knock off the injury-ravaged Bobcats in Athens last October. It would also be nice to beat Toledo, which has won three games in a row in the series after Bowling Green's own three-game winning streak from 2007-9 – which followed the Rockets' three-game winning streak from 2004-6. I'm also very interested in watching Bowling Green take on Tulsa in the opener, especially seeing how the Golden Hurricane are a very realistic top-25 threat.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION

— In a nutshell: Bowling Green continues to climb up the MAC ladder as it adds marks in the win column, building more and more confidence with each passing year and accumulating more and more talent suited for Clawson's schemes and vision for the program. This year's team is very easily one of the top five in the MAC and one of two teams with a viable shot at taking home the East Division – and the Falcons haven't won a divisional crown since 2003, believe it or not. This has much to do with a defense that should remain elite despite losing two all-conference stars, including the league's best interior lineman; this defense will continue to shine despite these departures.

The offense has me concerned, and it's the reason why I think Ohio will retake the East Division despite traveling to Bowling Green in November. Everything – a bowl game, eight or more wins, the East, the MAC – hinges on Schilz's play as a senior. If he puts together a solid-to-strong final season – perhaps one like his 2011 campaign – Bowling Green will be a serious challenger to Northern Illinois for the MAC title. But how secure can Bowling Green feel in the position? That's a major worry, as are the lack of proven depth in the backfield and the slight sense of unease at left and right tackle. While I see enormous potential, I can't pull the trigger on Bowling Green as the unquestioned leader in the MAC East – though again, I can see the draw.

But this is an eight-win team. The Falcons could even squeeze out nine wins with a 2-2 split during non-conference play – with one win from Tulsa, Indiana and Mississippi State – or a win against Toledo, even if the Rockets' seemingly have Bowling Green's number. Nine wins? How about 10 wins? Yes, 10 victories is a slight possibility should the offense rebound. Clawson's process has led to this point: Bowling Green is one of five teams in the MAC with the potential for double-digit wins and the talent and experience to take home the conference title.

— Dream season: Bowling Green loses only twice all season, to Mississippi State and Indiana, and takes home the MAC East and a end-of-year spot in both polls.

— Nightmare season: The Falcons go 1-3 in non-conference play and 4-4 against the MAC, ending the year as one of the bigger under-the-radar disappointments in the FBS.

— All-name team nominee: S BooBoo Gates.

UP NEXT

— Who is No. 51? This team has thrown for 6.94 miles of passing yards in the last three seasons.

Posted!

125: Georgia State - Georgia State joins the Sun Belt Conference as the newest member of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The team is led by former Indiana State coach Trent Miles, who knows a thing or two about massive rebuilding projects, but the Panthers are several years away from competing for bowl eligibility.
Jim Avelis, AP

124: Massachusetts - After going 1-11 in 2012, its first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision, UMass enters year two under Charley Molnar with little hope of any major improvement against another difficult schedule. The Minutemen are just a hair behind Akron for last place in the Mid-American Conference East Division.
Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports

123: Idaho - After being part of the since-disintegrated Western Athletic Conference, the Vandals will spend one season as a Football Bowl Subdivision independent before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. It won’t be pretty: Idaho will play Northern Illinois, Fresno State, Mississippi and Florida State, among others.
Kyle Mills, AP

122: South Alabama - The Jaguars went 2-11 as first-year members of the Sun Belt Conference in 2012, and that record won’t improve dramatically unless the offense fixes the missteps that defined last season. While coach Joey Jones has assembled some talent, South Alabama is still too inexperienced to be a real threat for more than three or four wins.
Mark Dolejs, USA TODAY Sports

121: New Mexico State. Previous coach DeWayne Walker left on his own accord after compiling a 10-40 record from 2009-2012, taking an assistant position with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 24, less than two weeks before national signing day. Walker's replacement, Doug Martin, has two things Walker did not when he took over late in 2008: FBS coaching experience (seven seasons at Kent State) and experience in Las Cruces (2011 as the Aggies' offensive coordinator).
Jim Avelis, AP

120: Akron - The Zips proved they could move the football last season, the program’s first under former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, but having a stronger offense didn’t prevent Akron from going 0-11 against Football Bowl Subdivision opposition. A year later, Akron remains far too undermanned to make any waves in the Mid-American Conference.
Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports

119: Texas at San Antonio - The youngest program in college football, UTSA quickly moved from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA. The issue with such rapid growth is that it will force the Roadrunners to play beyond their years, and this team seems too inexperienced to handle the increased level of competition found in Conference USA.
Eric Gay, Associated Press

118: Florida International - After spending several years building to the point where it could reach back-to-back bowl games, as Florida International did from 2010-11, FIU is back to square one under new coach Ron Turner. The Golden Panthers are entering the first stage of what should be a long and painful rebuilding project.
Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports

117: Eastern Michigan - Eastern Michigan is again out to prove its 6-6 finish in 2011 – the program’s lone six-win season since 1995 – was not a fluke. That seemed to be the case last fall, when the Eagles stumbled back to 2-10, the program’s third 10-loss season in four tries under coach Ron English. Confidence is not high in Ypsilanti.
Rob Christy, USA TODAY Sports

116: Memphis - The Tigers made some strides last season, winning four games under coach Justin Fuente, but will be tested by the tougher level of competition in the American Athletic Conference. While the program has clearly improved, 2013 should again find Memphis at the bottom of the conference standings.
Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Sports

115: Colorado - It can only get better than it was a year ago, if only because things couldn’t possibly get worse. Colorado begins a new era under former San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre with full knowledge of the difficult road that lies ahead. At the very least, CU knows it is now pointed in the right direction.
David Zalubowski, AP

114: UNLV. It's been 13 years since UNLV posted a winning season. The program is mired in a stretch of five seasons of 10 or more losses in the past seven years, with the last three coming under coach Bobby Hauck.
Bradley Leeb, USA TODAY Sports

113: North Texas leaves the Sun Belt Conference to join Conference USA in 2013. Will a change in scenery lead to a change in the standings? The Mean Green have been better under coach Dan McCarney, winning nine games over the last two seasons, but this team won’t go anywhere unless it can find some much-needed explosiveness on offense.
Scott Sewell, USA TODAY Sports

112: After nine seasons under Mike Price, UTEP welcomes back former assistant Sean Kugler as its new coach in 2013. Kugler has some weapons to work with, including a high-profile addition in Texas A,M transfer Jameill Showers at quarterback, but it will take time for him to reverse UTEP’s losing ways.
Rudy Gutierrez, AP

111: Florida Atlantic -- The team's quest to bolster its fundraising coffers by offering up the naming rights to its new stadium hit a snag after the university student body and surrounding community quickly soured on a deal with GEO Group, a for-profit prison operator with a history of fines, investigations and violations.
Photo courtesy of Florida Atlantic University

110: Illinois -- Bruised and battered Illinois lacks confidence, as one might expect after the Illini won only a single game against Football Bowl Subdivision opposition during the program's first season under former Toledo coach Tim Beckman. Illinois also lacks an offense, a defense and an identity.
Rudy Gutierrez, AP

108: New Mexico -- Four wins is cause for celebration at New Mexico, which went 3-33 from 2009-11 but finished 4-9 in 2012, its first season under former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie. The Lobos may be stuck in neutral while Davie and his staff add talent and depth to a depleted roster, likely leading to another season with four or fewer wins, but the program has found a run-first formula to hang with stronger opponents during Mountain West Conference play.
USA TODAY Sports

107: Colorado State -- This team enters year two of its rebuilding process under coach Jim McElwain, who learned a thing or two about building a winner as the former offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama. The Rams’ issues in 2013 circle around an offense that remains in flux while it acclimates itself into McElwain’s pro-style scheme. A tough schedule will send CSU to another losing season.
USA TODAY Sports

106: Army. Army exceeded expectations once, in 2010, creating both a remarkably pleasing individual season while increasing the belief that the Cadets and coach Rich Ellerson could do so again. Unfortunately, Army has since slid back to successive losing seasons, with last year ending in a nightmare: Trailing by four points with little more than a minute left, the Cadets fumbled the ball away deep inside Navy territory to again lose to their academy rival.
Jim Avelis, AP

105: Hawaii -- Former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow has painfully reworked Hawaii’s offense away from a pass-happy system into his pro-style scheme. Results thus far have been decidedly mixed. For now, the Rainbow Warriors will continue to lean on a defense with some speed and talent on the edge while the offense finds its form with a new starting quarterback, junior Taylor Graham. Hawaii is at least one full season away from competing for a bowl bid.
USA TODAY Sports

104: Texas State -- The Bobcats won four games last fall, the program’s first as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision. This season finds Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference, an offensively prolific league that will test one of the nation’s worst defenses. But the Bobcats are very hopeful that FBS transfers like D.J. Yendrey and Mike Orakpo can give this defense some much-needed experience, production and aggressiveness.
L. Scott Mann AP

103: Miami (Ohio) -- Miami has lost at least eight games in four of the last seasons and has been outscored in each of the last seven seasons, two facts that illustrate the RedHawks’ current rut. Will things change in 2013? Third-year coach Don Treadwell’s group faces holes at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, so the defense will need to carry the load against a fairly easy schedule should Miami look to reach the postseason.
USA TODAY Sports

102: Central Michigan -- The Chippewas reached a bowl game last season by beating the bad teams on the schedule. Despite winning seven games, the gap between Central Michigan and MAC frontrunners like Northern Illinois, Toledo and Ball State remained immense. In terms of personnel, CMU needs to replace a multiple-year starter at quarterback and left tackle Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
USA TODAY Sports

101: Kentucky -- Welcome to the new era of Kentucky football, revel in this new-car smell, because things have changed: Mark Stoops, the former defensive coordinator at Florida State, has altered the very way Kentucky views itself in the SEC pecking order. Not to mention Kentucky's own pecking order: The basketball team struggled this year, so there might be a power void at the top. Kentucky drew 50,831 fans to its spring game, or more than the Wildcats drew for any two home games from October on, judging by the pictures. Kentucky has reeled in more four-star recruits since December than at any point over the previous decade – combined, or just about.
USA TODAY Sports

100: Boston College -- The Eagles have sat and watched as their consistency, a hallmark of the program for the first decade of the new millennium, has crumbled to become nonexistent. New Boston College coach Steve Addazio's first task will be remaking the Eagles' broken sense of self-worth. If not the easiest first step, at least Addazio can tackle the task without worrying about teams like USC, Florida State and Clemson, three of Boston College's opponents over the first half of 2013. Wins and losses matter less than player development.
Jim Cowser, USA TODAY Sports

99: SMU -- Last year's team was better than its 7-6 record might indicate, particularly in terms of personnel. The Mustangs had a five-star transfer from Texas at quarterback, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in the backfield, a 1,000-yard receiver, a strong defensive line, an outstanding linebacker corps and a ball-hawking secondary. Yet the Mustangs still failed to beat any opponent of consequence outside of Tulsa, going 1-5 during the regular season against eventual bowl teams.
Jim Cowser, USA TODAY Sports

98: Western Michigan -- To properly understand where P.J. Fleck is coming from you need to sit down and watch him explain his new team's Nekton Mentality, Prefontaine Pace and Farmers' Alliance. These are things, real things, and to Fleck, they are what will separate Western Michigan from the rest of the MAC – actually, according to Fleck, they will ultimately separate the Broncos from the rest of college football.
Marilyn Indahl, USA TODAY Sports

97: Troy -- Once a Sun Belt Conference power, Troy has ceded the top spot to conference rivals like Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Lafayette over the last two seasons. Getting back to the postseason might be difficult: Troy returns only seven starters, the second-fewest of any team in the country, and lacks depth on each side of the ball.
Jim Brown, US Presswire

96: Kansas -- The opening season in the Charlie Weis era at Kansas went poorly, with a 1-11 mark and a last-place finish in the Big 12. The five-year plan enters year two now: will it be baby steps, befitting Kansas' recent run as the nation's worst automatic-qualifying program, or will the Jayhawks break through the ceiling and challenge for a bowl berth in the brutal Big 12?
Mike DiNovo, US Presswire

95: California -- Jeff Tedford, who coached California for the previous 11 seasons, is gone. In his place, former Louisiana coach Sonny Dykes is the latest offensive innovator to take the reins of a Pac-12 program since 2009. What does this say about California, Dykes and the North? It says that offense is in vogue throughout the division, helping present the Pac-12 as the flip-side to the SEC's defense-first mentality.
Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports

94: Rice -- Rice rode an explosive offense to a bowl game in 2012, defeating the Air Force Falcons in the Armed Forces Bowl. Can that explosive attack continue to help cover up a woeful defense (Rice has now allowed at least 48 points in a game 35 times since the start of the 2000 season) not only for this campaign, but beyond?
Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports

No. 93: Washington State -- In their second year under coach Mike Leach, can the Cougars reverse their string of losing at least eight games in the last five seasons? Only one other Pac-12 school has suffered as many eight-loss seasons in a row: Oregon State lost eight or more games in each season from 1979-87.
Allen Henry, USA TODAY Sports

No. 92: Connecticut -- As always, the Huskies are strong on defense but weak on offense. In the past six seasons, UConn quarterbacks have combined to throw 69 touchdowns against 72 interceptions while averaging 185.67 yards per game. Over the same span, the Huskies' defense has allowed 91 passing touchdowns against 97 interceptions while holding opposing quarterbacks to an average of 218.39 yards per game.
David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports

No. 91: UAB -- The Blazers and second year head coach Garrick McGee are trending up, with young talent on both sides of the ball. However, despite their relatively weak conference, UAB looks to still be a year away from reaching a bowl game.
Marvin Gentry, US Presswire

90: Wyoming -- The Cowboys have won 15 games in the past three years, with most coming in an eight-win finish in 2011. Three have come against Football Championship Subdivision competition. Three have come against Colorado State – a combined 10-26 since 2010. Of Wyoming's 15 wins since 2010, only three have come against winning teams: Toledo in 2010 and San Diego State and Air Force in 2011. Every other defeated opponent ended the season with seven or more losses. So what is Wyoming going to do when there are no more easy wins – when its MWC schedule is loaded with teams with realistic bowl hopes?
Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE

89: Purdue -- The Boilermakers have a new coach in Darrell Hazell, who won 11 games at Kent State last season with a unique system of steps that he is proud to call his own. In specific, Hazell's blueprint worked for Kent State. But his plan is universal: It'll work everywhere, whether we're talking Kent State, Purdue or Ohio State, should Hazell slide into the Buckeyes' plans at some point in the future. The Boilermakers will win with what they've got and feel good doing so. Just not from the start, perhaps.
Byron Hetzler, USA TODAY Sports

88: Temple -- Temple went back into its past to nab a replacement for Boston College-bound Steve Addazio. It shied away from the years prior to 2006, when Al Golden stepped in and reversed the program's fate, and opted for one of Golden's chief lieutenants in ex-offensive coordinator Matt Rhule. Rhule's return spells a move back to Temple's recent glory days, when the offense was pro-style, the defense aggressive and the team worked as one cohesive unit. Those were good times. Rhule will bring 'em back.
Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports

87: Iowa State -- Never before has Iowa State football had this level of fan support. What's not to like? The fan base admires the work coach Paul Rhoads and his staff have put into creating a consistent Big 12 presence, albeit one that typically sneaks into bowl play with six wins, hovering along the league's bottom third. The typically undermanned Cyclones are overachievers, basically. But here's a question: Once you overachieve once, twice, three times, aren't you simply achieving?
Peter G. Aiken, USA TODAY Sports

86: Duke -- Duke is looking to return to bowl play after winning six games in 2012. To do that and reach the postseason, Duke must find consistent play from new quarterback Anthony Boone. Duke will look to a more balanced offense to move the ball against ACC competition.
Mark Dolejs, USA TODAY Sports

85: Kent State -- Led by electric running back Dri Archer, Kent State will try to stay at a high level of achievement after an 11-3 season despite losing their coach to Purdue in the offseason. Prior to last season, Kent State was the lone FBS program with roots in the 20th century with a career winning percentage below .400 – it stood at .388, to be precise. Prior to last season, Kent State had not won more than six games since 1987. Prior to last season, Kent State was mired in a run of 32 non-winning seasons in 34 years. Then, last season, The Flashes came within a whisper of the Bowl Championship Series, believe it or not, and would have been the underdog story to end all underdog stories.
Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports

84: Pittsburgh --Pitt's defense is good enough to carry this team. But to say that the Panthers can win six or more games without a strong offense would be misleading – and this offense has some major holes to address before getting started against Florida State in early September.
Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports

83: Arkansas -- After a disastrous 2012 campaign following the summer departure of Bobby Petrino, the once-proud Razorbacks will try to get back in to bowl contention in the stacked Southeastern Conference. Coach Bret Bielema will bring a taste of the Big Ten to the SEC, turning Arkansas' finesse style into a punishing, physical team worthy of rolling in the mud with perennial powers like Alabama, Florida and LSU.
Jeff Blake, USA TODAY Sports

82: Southern Mississippi -- After an 0-12 season, the Golden Eagles had no choice but to dismiss their coach and hire former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken to replace him. Like Larry Fedora before him, brings sterling offensive credentials to Hattiesburg. But unlike Johnson, who took over a 12-win team, Monken inherits a winless group struggling to relocate its confidence. USM can take some solace in the fact it can't get any worse.
Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports

81: Syracuse - New coach Scott Shafer still has his hands full tutoring a fairly inexperienced team – the Orange return only 11 starters – in a new league, a more competitive ACC.
Rich Barnes, USA TODAY Sports

80: South Florida -- Coming off a 3-9 season, USF hired Willie Taggart as head coach. South Florida is one of five American Athletic Conference holdovers from the old Big East, not counting Temple, which joined the Big East as the league entered its death throes in 2012. Of the five, USF joins Rutgers as the lone programs to have not reached the Bowl Championship Series.
Daniel Wallace, AP

79: Middle Tennessee State --What team shows up in 2013? Perhaps the eight-win squad of 2012, or the 10-win team of 2009, or the bowl team of 2010. Or will it be the 10-loss team of 2011, as disappointing a non-automatically qualifying group in the country?
Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports

78: Virginia --UVa has plus-talent at quarterback, running back, receiver and all throughout the defense, with the only issue for 2013 being that nearly every meaningful contributor stands a season away from a breakthrough.
Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports

77: Minnesota --Think about this: Every year, Minnesota's quest for bowl eligibility goes through the Wolverines, Cornhuskers, Spartans, Wildcats and Hawkeyes – and sometimes, that quintet will be joined by Leaders Division teams like Wisconsin and Penn State. That'll happen sometimes. Like in 2013, for example.
Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

75: Western Kentucky --There's a blindingly bright future at WKU, even if it's hard to predict just how long Petrino remains with the program before a win-hungry power comes calling. To get to the next level, however, Petrino needs to develop personnel on offense to fit his foolproof system.
Nathan Morgan/Daily News, AP

74: Buffalo -- Coach Jeff Quinn has done a great job developing talent, as Buffalo won three of its last four games. The arrow is pointing up for this squad, which could reach a bowl game this year. The running game will continue to go through Branden Oliver (pictured), one of the MAC's best backs.
Nathan Morgan/Daily News, AP

73. Indiana - The Hoosiers enter this season a confident group, having won four games under Kevin Wilson last fall. He has developed the team's offense into one of the most potent in the Big Ten. To take the next step, Indiana will need to build more depth on the defensive side.
Nathan Morgan/Daily News, AP

72. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons are loaded with seniors and several underclassmen set for larger roles. They should challenge for six wins with coach Jim Grobe thanks to a strong offense, which will be more run-based, and increased depth.
Chuck Burton, AP

71. Houston: After 17 seasons with Conference USA, Houston joins the American. It hopes to rejoin the postseason after going 5-7 last season. Dave Piland must step up at quarterback and the defensive-line interior needs to be rebuilt.
Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

70. San Jose State: The Spartans won the Military Bowl last season, finishing an impressive campaign in which they went 11-2 and earned a national ranking in both polls. Even with one of the nation's best quarterbacks in David Fales (No.1), new coach Ron Caragher and his staff has their hands full fixing the defense.
Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

69. Iowa: The Hawkeyes look to rebound after going 4-8 a season ago. Coach Kirk Ferentz will have to find a new quarterback to replace replace James Vandenberg. Their postseason hopes will ride on a strong backfield and and offensive line.
Charlie Neibergall, AP

67. Air Force: Are there negative signs? I'd say so. But are they reasons for concern? No, not really. Though Air Force has been trending downward the last two years – 13-13 combined since the start of the 2011 season – the Falcons have, to be fair, lost four games by single digits. It was only two years ago that Air Force scored 454 points, the fourth-highest total in school history – so the offense isn't broken. Likewise, the Falcons' 2011 defense ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in yards allowed per game. So what happened last season? The Falcons struggled. It happens.
Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports

66. Maryland: The Terps enter Year 3 under Randy Edsall with serious bowl expectations. Maryland will have increased depth and will land markedly improved production at quarterback, with C.J. Brown (pictured) healthy. To ensure six wins, Maryland must address some personnel issues on the defensive side of the ball
Patrick Semansky, AP

65. Louisiana-Monroe: ULM had its first breakthrough as a member of the FBS last season, winning eight games. The Warhawks return 17 starters altogether, with eight on offense (including dual-threat QB Kolton Browning) and nine on defense. ULM is easily one of the top three teams in the Sun Belt Conference and a bowl favorite.
Patrick Semansky, AP

64. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have reached three bowl games in a row under coach Dan Mullen. Last season ended poorly for the Bulldogs, with four losses in five games after a 7-0 start. To rebound, MSU needs to land more consistent quarterback play and replace two cornerbacks
Patrick Semansky, AP

63. Louisiana Tech: After a nine win season that amazingly did not earn them a postseason bid, Louisiana Tech is aiming to keep up their success from last season behind a truly explosive offense. In order to get a BCS bid, which is a possibility if they play their cards right, they must hold serve against weak WAC opponents.
Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

62. Tennessee: Tennessee was a few first downs, a third-down conversion, a fourth-down stop, a two-point conversion and an errant pass away from reaching bowl eligibility last fall, the program's third year under ex-coach Derek Dooley. But now Dooley is gone after he failed to make a Bowl game, and in his stead is hot new coach Butch Jones.
Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports

61. Utah: Utah didn't bite off more than it could chew in joining the Pac-12, though the record might suggest otherwise: After going 33-6 in its final three years in the Mountain West Conference, Utah has slid to 13-12 in its new league – finishing outside of bowl eligibility last fall, a program-first since the pre-Urban Meyer period. The Utes have moved away from their winning tradition somewhat in recent years, but are looking to get back there on the back of a good offense.
Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports

60. Navy: Okay, so the Midshipmen beat Army again last season. There's a word for Navy's run of success in the chase for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy: Domination. The Midshipmen have won eight of the past 10 trophies, losing out to Air Force in 2010 and 2011. Last season's sweep – wins against both Army and Air Force – marked the program's eighth double-dip since 2003. But the gap among the armed forces academies might be closing pretty quickly. Just don't tell these Midshipmen.
Danny Wild, USA TODAY Sports

59: Utah State: Utah State came this close to a perfect regular season in 2012, as a missed field goal against BYU sunk their BCS chances. They lost their two games by a combined five points. Then there are the 11 wins, eight coming by 22 or more points. USU was quite easily one of college football's best teams of 2012, one separated from greater glory by only the slimmest of margins.
Douglas C. Pizac, USA TODAY Sports

58. Missouri: The Tigers really struggled in their first season in the SEC, not making a bowl game for the first time since 2004. That's to be expected moving in to the most powerful conference in college football if you don't have a Heisman-winning quarterback, so we can cut Mizzou some slack. They will show improvement this season.
Dak Dillon, USA TODAY Sports

57. West Virginia: West Virginia looks for a vastly improved defense to team with an offense that should remain among the Big 12's best despite changes at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive guard. The Mountaineers started 5-0 in 2012, rising as high as No. 4 in the polls, before losing six of eight to end the season.
Rob Christy, USA TODAY Sports

56. Auburn - After a disastrous 3-9 (0-8 SEC) season, Auburn finally fired Gene Chizik and brought former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn in to head the program. It was an amazing fall for the Tigers, who won a national championship and went undefeated in 2010-11. Now, Auburn must start virtually from scratch, but have brought in some talented recruits that may help ease the transition.
John Reed, USA TODAY Sports

55. Arkansas State - The Red Wolves won the GoDaddy.com Bowl last year, but now have their fourth new head coach in the last four seasons. But ASU is at the front of the Sun Belt conference and should continue to make the postseason and win games once they get there.
Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports

54. Rutgers: Give Rutgers coach Kyle Flood credit for many things, including his nine-win debut as Greg Schiano's replacement, but let's focus on one achievement in particular: Flood and Rutgers have recruited as well as any team in the Big East – and the American Athletic Conference, now that it's 2013. They're not Louisville in terms of quality, but the Scarlet Knights will almost certainly make a bowl game.
Douglas Jones, USA TODAY Sports

53. North Carolina State: After a seven-win season, the Wolfpack has a new coach in former Northern Illinois head man Dave Doeren. After some good results and bad results over the tenure of Tom O'Brien, the pack is ready to move away from average overall results and try and move to the top of the ACC.
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

52. Bowling Green. Bowling Green: The Falcons’ defense will remain the best in the Mid-American Conference despite losing two all-conference starters. Bowling Green’s biggest concern is quarterback play, where senior Matt Schilz’s disappointing 2012 season has led coach Dave Clawson to create a quarterback competition. If the offense doesn’t improve, Bowling Green could top out at seven wins and a second-place finish in the East Division.
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51. Arizona: After a tremendous debut, coach Rich Rodriguez will need to cobble together an offense without last year’s starting quarterback and top receiver. While the offensive line and running game remain strong, Arizona’s defense is not to the point where it can slow down many opponents during Pac-12 play. The Wildcats will return to the postseason, but the team might struggle in September as it transitions to a new cast on offense.
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